Factory Nights
12 November 2008
The last session in 2008 of the successful FACTORY NIGHTS programme…
Factory Nights is a series of inspiring working sessions for ANY visual artists, photographers, writers, poets, musicians, filmmakers and any other creatives!
Factory Nights is not a discussion event, seminar or even a workshop.
Factory Nights are free evening sessions that simply provide an opportunity for creative people to come together in an interesting venue and supportive environment to make work or initiate ideas. Artists can come to the sessions with something they have been working on or could start something brand new, inspired by the space.
Where and When: Since April there has been 3 sessions in North Tyneside and 3 in Sunderland and the final session will be in Durham, all in interesting spaces and buildings. The programme has been extremely successful attracting an average of 30 artists each session of various disciplines coming together.
Supported by: Durham County Council, Durham City Arts, Arts Council England, North Tyneside Council and Sunniside Partnership. Thanks to Mecca Bingo, YMCA, Queen St Masonic Heritage Centre, Hackett Property Services, Friends of Tynemouth Station, Millhouse Developments, Porters Café and Friends of Sunderland Old Parish Church; The Rector Gray Society and Jimmy Allen’s Night Club.
NEXT SESSION:
Jimmy Allen's Nightclub, The old House of Correction, Dungeons and home of Jimmy Allen’s Ghost
19-21 Elvet Bridge, Durham
Friday 21 November: 6.30 – 8.30pm (tour 6.30 – 7.00pm)
Plus Factory Late Event: 8.30pm – late.
Jimmy Allen's nightclub, situated under Elvet Bridge in Durham is a popular venue for bar crawls, locals and home to the old House of Correction and former dungeons. The name Jimmy Allen's was taken from one of the most renowned inhabitants of the House of Correction and the last prisioners to end his life in the dungeon cells.
He was known across the length and breadth of Britain and many legends surround his name and it is said that his ghost still haunts the bar with a number of strange happenings including people being pushed on the dance floor, photographs revealing the outline of a figure and a glass being flung from a shelf.
The evening will start with a tour of the venue by the nightclubs assistant manager, Susan Doran who will answer any questions and includes viewing the notches carved into the wall counting down Jimmy’s last days and the now sealed passageway that housed the cells and where prisioners were once led along to be hung.
NB: THIS SESSION IS LIMITED TO 20 PLACES SO PLEASE RSVP TO BOOK A SPACE
PREVIOUS FACTORY NIGHTS SESSIONS
First session:
Friday 18 April, 5.30 – 9pm:
MECCA BINGO, High St West, Wallsend Town Centre, NE28 8JD.
The Mecca Bingo is housed in a former cinema built during 1930’s and still contains many of its original features. This first Factory Night includes a tour of the building including the old projection rooms and, for all that fancy their luck, one free game of bingo! The session will be located upstairs in the balcony seating area overlooking the bingo hall in the original cinema seating area.
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Second session:
Friday 9 May, 5.30- 8pm:
Queen St Masonic Temple, Hendon, Sunderland, SR1 2HT
Deep in the heart of the oldest part of Sunderland, in the corner of an unkempt car park stands one of the oldest buildings in the town. From the outside it appears to be in the early stages of dereliction which in reality is a disguise for its magnificent interior, for this is the Phoenix Hall, built in 1785 by the members of Phoenix Lodge to replace a similar hall nearby which had been destroyed by fire and is now the oldest purpose built Masonic meeting place in the world and incredibly still being used by the Lodge that built it 213 years ago.
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Third session:
Friday 16 May, 5.30- 8pm:
Rooftop football pitch YMCA, North Shields, NE29 0AB
This five-story building offers a unique opportunity to experience amazing views of North Tyneside and the mouth of the river Tyne. This building was built in 1938 by the Sir James Knott Trustees to provide accommodation and financial support for the establishment of the Sir James Knott Youth Centre in North Shields. The building occupies a prominent position in North Shields town centre.
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Fourth session:
Thursday 29 May, 6pm – 8pm:
Former Water Board building, Hawksley House, 26-29 John Street, Sunderland City Centre, SR1 1JE
Hawksley House is located in the heart of Sunderland city centre and is situated opposite Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens. This Victorian listed building has been carefully restored and contains a fantastic oak staircase leading to a galleried landing with a beautiful stained glass dome above. The Factory Nights event will include a tour of the original cellar vaults and time to enjoy the former Board Room with its restored oak panelled walls, marble fireplace and original flooring. The evening promises to be a treat for all involved as it is described in the new brochure as ideal for luxurious indulgence!
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Fifth Session:
Saturday 21 June, 6pm – 8pm (plus after show event from 8pm - late):
Tynemouth Station, Tynemouth, NE30 4RE (outside Porters Café)
The Grade II listed structure is regarded as one of the most impressive Victorian station complexes. Tynemouth Station built in 1882 is a landmark of national significance which is in need of restoration, it still has many original features including signage and canopies and has a unique quality of a space that is both indoors and outdoors. The station is home to one of the most unusual visual art spaces in the region, The Bridge. This space spans both platforms at Tynemouth Station and launched its installation programme in 1995 to exhibit work ranging from international artists to regional art students. The station is also home to the famous flea market every weekend and hosts 4 annual book fairs.
EXTRA LATE SHOW EVENT…
This event will follow the Factory Night session in the intimate Porters Café within the Tynemouth station.
Poet/performer and journalist Peter Mortimer will perform a reading from the newly published Mortimer at Large, a collection of his newspaper columns from the North Tyneside based News Guardian. The reading will be followed by live music; including his son Dylan.
Peter Mortimer - poet, playwright, journalist and publisher, has lived in the North East for 30 years where he has published and performed many books and plays. He is the founder of Cloud Nine Theatre Productions and writes a regular column for the Whitley Bay News Guardian.
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Sixth Session:
Friday 11th July: 5.30pm – 8pm (tour 5.30 – 6.30pm)
Plus Factory Late Event: 8pm – late:
Holy Trinity Church and Old Town Hall, Church Street East, Sunderland
The Holy Trinity Church built in 1719 is a unique building and was designed not only as the Parish Church but also housed the Township which included the library, law courts and council chamber. The Church retains many of its original Georgian features and is now only used for services twice a year.
The evening commences with a tour, led by author and local historian Robert Moon, of the Church and its surrounding East end area, including Trafalgar Square and the Old boys orphanage. Robert is the author of The Sundered – Land- story of a seaport and its Township and will be on hand to answer any questions about the area and its links to the battle of Trafalgar.
Please be aware of the practicalities and limitations of working in these spaces when deciding what to bring with you and contact us if you have any queries. Refreshments will be provided.
FACTORY LATE EVENT…
This event will follow the Factory Night session in the Heart of Oaks pub at no. 10. and is situated leading up to The Holy Trinity Church on Church Street. This beautiful, recently refurbished pub is one of only two remaining five bay merchants houses built by well-known Quaker families and dates back to 1714.
AIMS OF FACTORY NIGHTS:
rednile hope to bring together artists in the areas of North Tyneside and Sunderland, open up art and artists’ practices, whilst forging relationships with businesses and utilizing interesting spaces in each area.
The programme aims to build on rednile’s relationships with business that have developed since 2005 (from initiating projects such as re:gen and Space) and aim to bring new people each area and create interest in their regeneration strategy and redevelopment. Factory Nights is also a channel for creative people to become more visible and therefore increase the opportunities for more events and build a stronger cultural community that the local authority are aware of and can potentially work with. Each venue chosen to house a Factory Night, have the enthusiasm for future creative collaboration within their spaces and want to work with artists.
BACKGROUND ON PROJECT:
Factory Nights is the first programme of creative working sessions rednile have initiated (past projects have involved artists residencies, exhibitions and education programmes). Frustrated by the lack of studio space available and opportunities for artists to make work, rednile envisage that creative working sessions will bring together those who normally work at home or in isolation and provide a fuel to feed the creative fire!
MORE ABOUT PEOPLE INVOLVED:
rednile Projects Ltd. is creatively directed by 3 artists, Suzanne Hutton, Michael Branthwaite and Janine Goldsworthy. Over the past 4 years rednile have coordinated 8 major projects in the North East all in temporary venues giving over 30 opportunities to artists in the form of residencies in businesses, exhibitions, new commissions and temporary public art commissions. We have also supported artists by providing free studio space, opportunities for writers, mentoring and education for students and opportunities to be involved in projects in various roles. We have worked hard to secure funding for all our projects, both regional and elsewhere in the UK, to ensure all involved are paid for their time, work and talent. We aim to continue working in interesting temporary spaces, to collaborate creatively and provide opportunities to artists and businesses to help build strong cultural communities.
FOR ANY FURTHER INFO INCLUDING IMAGES CONTACT:
Email: info@rednile.org
Tel: 07900 147 628 (Suzanne Hutton, Artist Founder - rednile Projects)
Tel: 07954 408 976 (Janine Goldsworthy, Artist Founder - rednile Projects)